Hello, solar enthusiasts! I’m sure many of you have followed the recent news about the unfortunate event that occurred in central Florida. An EF-2 tornado tore through the Lake Placid Solar Power Plant, shredding a swath of solar modules from their trackers.
The tornado, sporting winds between 111 and 135 miles per hour, made its terrifying appearance right before Hurricane Milton hit the area. Besides impacting our beloved solar power plant, it heaped damage on 20 to 30 homes in the vicinity.
The Lake Placid solar array for home electricity production is no small establishment. Developed initially by EDF Renewables, and later sold to Duke Energy, the plant’s development and construction were completed in 2019. It has been impressively absorbing sunlight and converting it into power, thanks to its 63.2 MW of solar panels. The facility boasts a grid connection capacity of 45 MW and was further improved in 2022 with the addition of an 18 MW lithium-ion battery.
In the wake of the tornado, though the westernmost quadrant of the facility bore the brunt of the storm, most of the plant managed to stay intact. It’s a silver lining that encourages us in this industry, underscoring the resilience built into these solar installations.
However, let’s not forget that weather incidents — especially as drastic as this — warrant a reevaluation of our preparation for such occurrences. As conscientious participants and promoters in the world of solar companies, safety, sustainability, and resilience should always be our mantra.
Luckily, Florida has been progressively toughening wind codes since Hurricane Andrew in 1992, raising the wind speed requirements for new construction. This plan, intended to bolster structural resistance to high winds, would have required a solar array like Lake Placid’s to be built to withstand wind speeds up to 150 mph.
That being said, it’s essential as a solar company or a homeowner planning to install solar panels for your home, to simultaneously deliberate on the storm-hardening process for solar power systems. A few years back, the U.S. Department of Energy’s National Renewable Energy Laboratory released a helpful report that outlines 13 strategies to enhance a site’s ability to resist stronger wind speeds.
Ideally, when embarking on your solar panel journey, consider the wind speeds in your area. Interestingly, single-axis trackers provide less robust support for solar panels compared to fixed racking systems, a factor you might want to include in your deliberation.
Take this recent event as a mixed bag of lessons and inspiration. Solar is undoubtedly the future, but preparing for the unexpected will ensure its longevity and resilience in serving our energy needs. And as I always say, stay solar, stay resilient!
Original Articlehttps://pv-magazine-usa.com/2024/10/16/tornado-rips-through-solar-farm-in-florida/
